New Directions and Addictions

May 26, 2009

Felting Fashion by Lizzie Houghton is due out August 4, 2009.

OMIGOSH! It’s really incredible how one thing leads to another. It’s like the old nursery rhyme “For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost”. So who knew that not being able to knit was keeping me blind to a bunch of possibilities? When I was young and the local yarn shop tried to teach me how to knit, they realized that I was left handed so all they had to do (they thought), was sit in front of me and have me copy what I saw. I learned many years later, as an adult, that what I thought was knitting was actually purling.
So here comes a couple of months ago, I started loom knitting. As it began to dawn on me that I could knit, actually knit, the wheels in my head started to turn like crazy. I started working with wool because I wanted to felt. Then I bought natural colored wool because I wanted to dye my own colors for the felted pieces.

Excellent book 'complete feltmaking' by Gillian Harris

I wet felted some knitted purses and then I needle felted some things that I would like to make into jewelry. The needle felting was my downfall though. I ruined my hands with the repetitive motion and for the last two weeks I’ve been unable to do a lot with them. Tomorrow I see a hand surgeon. HMPH.
So today as I’m chomping on the bit to finish this felted project and do more needle felting and mulling over what to do, I mentioned to my husband about needle felting machines. I explained to him that they are pretty expensive, like a sewing machine but more then I would pay, and how I would like to move along on my projects. He pops out with a simple question: why can’t we convert your old sewing machine into a needle felting machine? So that sets me off on the internet to see what anyone has to say about that and lo and behold! There is such a thing as a needle adapter for converting a sewing machine into a needle felting machine. I even found the adapter on Ebay at a discount from regular price with extra needles and foam. Apparently you pull the bobbin assembly out and the feed dogs/plate on the machine. In their place you put high density foam in the cavity so that the needles will sink into that. It keeps them from breaking. My old sewing machine is a cast iron special from Mongomery Ward and weighs a ton. It should be able to stand up to whatever I throw at it. It is a two tone, aqua/teal, VERY retro and I can’t wait to be able to needle felt again. I know my hands will appreciate it, too!

On that note, when we went up to Vancouver day before yesterday I didn’t even take my laptop with me. It was weird to be without it since it goes everywhere with me but my hands appreciated the break. I did loom knit another purse in the car going up and back though.

We had a wonderful time and the weather was absolutely beautiful. I’ll post on that next.

One Response to “New Directions and Addictions”

Mer,
What a wonderful post. I love the way that life moves us in and out of it. The way something thought to be bad is the pause we need to find the source of the path to take next road. I am finding that if I just breathe and accept where I am at. I find what I am looking for. Whether I know I am looking for it or not. Those books you have posted look interesting and the jacket is divine.
Make me one please!